The Punisher, an original series by Netflix is finally live and running on the streaming site. The series was scheduled for release earlier however the horrific, Las Vegas shooting incident forced the producers to extend the delivery date. Now that its finally out, it has been praised for its hard hitting and realistic take on how tragedy can change a man completely.
The Punisher is less like the conventional Marvel show. The protagonist has quite a disturbing past which has resulted in his unique and unconventional fighting style. The Punisher unlike the others is brutal and isn’t afraid to go and cross the line when soliciting important information from his enemies. Moreover, the Punisher also works with a computer hacker called Micro that allows him to decipher important information regarding his foes.
Netflix has taken the promotion of this show quite seriously and has adopted an innovative way to market the product. Many Netflix subscribers received emails from an odd website claiming that their Netflix membership had been suspended. The only way to regain it, involved clicking on a link that would take them to a new website where they had to input personal information. Normally people shy away from such techniques thinking of them as phishing schemes but as the word got out, the public realized that it was Netflix using a marketing gimmick.
As people clicked on the link, they were shown a message from Netflix as a GIF which said “Detected strange behavior within [their] algorithm, which is currently recommending you watch a non-existent show on Netflix.” The Netflix logo then changes and turns into the Punisher skull logo which then changes into a button. Upon clicking it you are redirected to the Netflix website.
We think that this was a good technique used by Netflix. It ensures top of mind recall and articulates the message of the show being available through visibility, other methods of promotion also included a message on leading pop culture websites that they have been taken over by the Punisher and the truth must be set free.
Apparently the gimmick worked and the show has been a massive success. However the shows success not only hinges on creative marketing schemes , but also the portrayal of the titular character by Jon Bernthal which was nothing short of amazing.
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